


in which donovan and luan are terrible at expressing their feelings

by Chimera Manticore (chimeramanticore)



Category: Shovel Knight
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 11:40:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20581913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chimeramanticore/pseuds/Chimera%20Manticore
Summary: After a heist goes sideways, Luan and Donovan share a somewhat intimate, somewhat tender, somewhat incredibly anxiety inducing moment together (starring Donovan as repressed nerd)





	in which donovan and luan are terrible at expressing their feelings

**Author's Note:**

> bruh this title wasnt supposed to be the actual title but look where we are now
> 
> there's some mild-ish violence in this, donovan and luan both get hurt and there's a brief mention of blood so if any of that is a dealbreaker here's your warning

So, this mission was  _ not _ going very well.

Luan and Donovan had recently set their sights on raiding an abandoned temple near the top of a mountain. A shrine to the sun goddess, left empty at least seventy years ago by now, and all the way up near the summit. Sure, it was a bit out of their element, but with no one else there to have to get through, the job seemed easy enough. They’d packed their warmest clothes and headed off, promising Luan’s brother that  _ yes, _ they’d only be gone for a week at most and  _ no,  _ they weren’t doing anything illegal, and  _ yes we know thank you again for watching Reize. _

The heist itself went smoothly enough. They’d broken in with little trouble and while there wasn’t much money left on the premises, there were more than enough artifacts and figurines made out of precious gold and silver to make up for that fact.

“I’m almost certain this is some sort of sacrilege,” Donovan commented as he examined a golden statuette of the goddess before stuffing it into his bag.

“Are you a religious type, Donovan?” Luan asked from across the room, stacking silver plates in his arms to put in his own bag.

“Not really, no,” Donovan replied. “I was never taught about this sort of stuff as a kid, and by now I don’t think you could pay me to care.”

“Then what’s the point of worrying about the wrath of a deity you don’t believe in?” Luan laughed.

“Whatever,” Donovan mumbled, struggling to shut his bag. “I can’t hold anything else, Luan. Are we done here?”

“What’s your rush?” Luan said, attempting to angle a candlestick the right way to fit in his bag and failing. He settled on just holding it in his hand. “It’s not like anyone’s here to--”

He was cut off by the sound of the front door to the temple opening. They weren’t alone.   
  
“Shit,” he hissed.

“I thought you said this place was abandoned?” Donovan whispered.

“Not anymore!” Luan whispered back. “We need to go.”

“What about your candlestick?” Donovan quipped.

“Not the time,” Luan replied, grabbing Donovan by the wrist and pulling him over towards the back exit.

They moved quickly and silently together down the hallways. Luan stopped behind the corner nearest to the exit, holding out a hand to stop Donovan as well. He peered around the corner, finding two bandits standing by the door. Considering they’d heard someone enter through the front, he figured there were many more than just those two. He pulled back, thankful they hadn’t seen him.

Donovan gave Luan an expectant look, to which Luan replied with a shake of the head. Donovan sighed, looking around the area for another way out. He nudged Luan with his shoulder and pointed at a window on the other wall of the hallway. They’d have to get out quietly, but they’d be safe. Luan nodded, making his way to the window. He slid the candlestick into his belt loop to free both of his hands and slid open the window slowly to avoid making any noise. He then beckoned Donovan over, the latter complying.

Donovan took hold of the window frame to keep it open so Luan could get through. Luan stuck one leg through the window--

The two heard a loud  _ clang _ as the candlestick fell to the ground.

“Who’s there?” They heard a voice call from around the corner. Luan gave Donovan a panicked look, and Donovan beckoned Luan out of the window quickly, short of just shoving him through. Once Luan was out, Donovan climbed through himself and let go of the frame, letting it fall down. No point in being quiet now, right? The window shut just as a large, burly bandit reached it. Donovan scrambled to lock the window from the outside, and then to catch up with Luan, kicking up snow as he ran.

“Are you okay?” Luan asked. Donovan glanced behind him in time to see the bandit smash through the window and begin to climb out.

“Yeah, but we’ve got company,” he replied, turning back around.

“I’ve got a plan,” Luan said. “Just follow me, okay?”   
  
Donovan was about to respond when an arrow hit the snow, inches away from his feet. He turned around again, seeing the slimmer bandit holding a bow and getting ready to fire another arrow.

“Luan?” Donovan said, looking at his partner. “What exactly is this plan of yours?”

“It- agh!” Luan stumbled, tripping over his own feet and falling to the ground. Donovan stopped running. An arrow protruded from Luan’s back, right over his left shoulder.   
  


“Luan! Are you okay?” he said, approaching him.

“I’m fine! Go!” Luan said, already starting to get up. Donovan nodded and took off again, running around to the other side of the temple, where the entrance was. He turned the corner-- only to run directly into the back of another bandit and fall to the ground.

“What the- Who the hell are you?” The bandit said. Donovan willed himself not to open his eyes, not even when they picked him up by the collar, his feet dangling off the ground.

“You’re not with us, are you?” The bandit asked. “You don’t look like you’re from ‘round here... What’s your name?”

Donovan said nothing, squeezing his eyes shut tighter.

“Not much of a talker, huh? That’s quite alright. We got ways of makin’ you talk.”

Donovan heard the bandit unsheath a sword.

He opened his eyes.

“Sh- shit,” he muttered, trying to reach his own sword and only managing to knock around his bag.   
  


“What’s this?” The bandit said, reaching to take Donovan’s bag from him. “You get here before us? This is…” He watched their eyes widen as they looked inside. “I’ll be taking this.”

“No!” Donovan exclaimed. In a fit of panic, he swung back and kicked at the bandit, landing a blow right in the center of their stomach. They dropped him in surprise, and Donovan snatched his bag back.

“Not so fast!” They snapped, grabbing Donovan’s wrist and slashing at him with their machete. Donovan reached his free arm up instinctively, blocking the attack from his torso, but getting his arm sliced open instead. The bandit raised the machete over their head to attack again-- before another sword pierced through their torso. A katana. Donovan pulled his hand away from their grip, taking a step back to avoid getting stabbed as well. The sword retracted, and Donovan watched as the bandit fell to the ground, revealing Luan standing behind them.

“We need to go,” he said. “Now.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Donovan replied, and the two took off together.

They made their way back down the mountain, to the inn they were staying at during their trip. It was still technically on the mountain, just low enough on it that a small village was able to form there. Just far enough away from the summit to lose those bandits. They checked into their room, dropping down onto their respective beds with relief. They were quiet- they had been silent since making a break for it earlier- until Luan finally spoke up.

“We need to get ourselves cleaned up,” he said. “I’ve still got an arrow in me and I can’t have you bleeding out from the arm there.” Donovan looked down at his arm. It had been bleeding fairly steadily for the last twenty or thirty minutes since he got attacked, a long gash going down almost the entirety of his forearm. Dried blood was caked onto his sleeve.

“You’ve… got more than a point,” he said. “Do we have bandages?”

“I left them in there,” Luan replied, pointing to a drawer against the opposite wall. Donovan got up and retrieved them, rolling up his sleeve to expose the wound as Luan got up as well to get his armor and shirt off. Donovan fumbled with the roll of bandages for a minute. It was much harder than he’d expected to wrap his own arm, especially his dominant one.

“You’re not going to get anything done like that, you know,” Luan said, nearly causing Donovan to jump out of his skin. Was he watching the whole time? “Let me do it for you.”

“I, uh…”

“Would you rather stand there trying to do it yourself for twenty minutes?”

“...No.” Donovan handed the roll of bandages to Luan. “Just do it.”

Luan took the bandages from him and instructed him to hold out his arm. Donovan complied, and Luan got to work wrapping up his arm. As he did so, Donovan watched him intently. Or rather, watched his hands. He took note of all the scars and calluses on them. There were stories behind all of those, he thought to himself. Stories that happened before Luan had ever even known him. Stories that happened without him. Something about that realization bothered Donovan, though he couldn’t place why. He’d seen enough stories with Luan already, enough to last a lifetime. Luan had done incredible things with those hands, intimidating things at times, even. But something about this, something about now, was so gentle. It was almost unlike him. Or maybe, Donovan thought, maybe he just didn’t know Luan as well as he thought he did.

“Donovan?”

“Wh- what?” Donovan shook his head, coming back to reality. How long had Luan been talking to him?

“I asked if it was too tight,” Luan said.

“Oh. Oh, uh… no. No, it’s fine.”

“Alright,” Luan replied, ripping the edge of the bandage off from the roll and tucking it into Donovan’s makeshift cast. Donovan looked up and somehow just realized that Luan had had his shirt off for at least five minutes by now.

He forced himself to look away.

“I’m gonna need you for this next part,” Luan said. Donovan looked at him.

“What? For what?”

Luan pointed at his shoulder, the tip of the arrowhead barely poking out through the front. “It’s all the way through,” he said. “I won’t be able to get it out by myself.”

“You want  _ me _ to do it?”

“There’s no one else who can, Donovan.”

“I… uh.” Donovan swallowed nervously. He had never done anything like this before; he’d never needed to. What if he messed up? “I-I guess,” he told Luan.

“Great,” Luan said, moving over to a chair. He sat down, making sure his back was exposed enough that Donovan could grab ahold of the arrow. Donovan approached cautiously, eyeing the arrow.

“I… Luan?” he started.

“Yes?”

“I don’t know how to do this.”

“You don’t need to know,” Luan said, “you just need to pull.”

“Okay, let me rephrase that, then. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Donovan… You’re not going to hurt me.”

“I’m-- I think I will.”

“Donovan.” Luan reached back, taking Donovan’s hand. “It’ll be fine. You won’t hurt me. I promise.” Donovan knew he was mostly saying that to make him feel better, but it admittedly worked a little. He took a deep breath.

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll… I’ll try.” He placed a hand on the arrow. Luan braced himself.

Donovan pulled.

The arrow barely budged.

“Pull harder,” Luan said.

“Are you sure?”

“ _ Pull harder _ ,” he repeated.

Donovan pulled again, harder now.

The arrow moved.

Luan stifled a groan.

“I’m sorry!” Donovan said.

“Don’t be! Don’t stop! Just... keep going, it’ll be out soon.”

“I-- I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Donovan, you already got it somewhat out,” Luan said. “Just finish the job.”

“I can’t!”

“Fine!” Luan snapped, reaching back and grabbing the arrow. “Then I will!”

“No!” Donovan shouted. “Don’t… don’t. I’ll do it.”

Luan lowered his hand.

Donovan grabbed the arrow again.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

“It’s fine,” Luan replied.

Donovan pulled, hard.

The arrow moved again.

He pulled again, not hesitating. He just wanted this to be over with.

The arrow came out.

Donovan stood there, holding it in his hand. “I… I got it,” he said, more to himself than to Luan.

“I can tell,” Luan said. “Get rid of it, and go get the bandages.”

“Uh- right.” Donovan didn’t know what to do with the arrow, so he just dropped it on the floor. He then reached over to grab the roll of bandages, moving to Luan’s front as he did so.

“Hold out your arm,” he told Luan. He fumbled with the bandages for only a second now before starting to wrap up Luan’s wound.

They were close, much closer than Donovan was comfortable with. In any other situation, sure, but… he had a responsibility here, and he was trying his hardest to not screw it up majorly. He felt he already had, in a way. Was Luan upset with him for not getting the arrow out sooner? Did he hurt him badly? Why bother trying to spare his feelings? Why bother trying to hide his pain?

Donovan dropped the roll of bandages.

“Shit.” He bent down to pick it up.

“You seem distracted,” Luan commented.

“It’s not every day I get my arm sliced open by a bandit and then have to pull an arrow out of my partner’s arm,” Donovan replied.

“Fair enough,” Luan said. “I should thank you.”

“Thank me? For what?”

“For bandaging me, for starters. For getting that arrow out. For making sure I was okay back there.”

“You were the one who saved my life,” Donovan muttered.

“It’s not a contest, Donovan. I helped you and you helped me. We need each other.”

Donovan  _ did _ need Luan, he thought, just not in the same way. Not like  _ this. _

“I… I suppose,” Donovan said quietly, averting his gaze.

“Donovan,” Luan said. Donovan looked up at him. “Really, though. Thank you.” He sounded earnest, maybe more so than Donovan was used to.

“It, uh, it was nothing. Anyone would’ve done the same."

“You know that’s not true.”

Donovan said nothing.

“Donovan? I love you.”

Donovan took Luan’s hand, looking him in the eyes.

“And I…” he hesitated. “...And I wish I had the courage to say it back, Luan.”

And without another word, Donovan left the inn, too embarrassed to come back and say anything else.


End file.
